Coste Chaude Cuvee Florilege 2013

A Rhone mouthful of goodness

Marianne Fues' vineyards are situated in one of my favorite parts of the Rhône --the very north of the southern part. Doesn't make sense, right? Its high elevation here and unlike some of the lower lying areas, is typically buffeted by cooling winds from the Alp foothills and Mt. Ventoux. Because of this, Syrah likes it a lot here and Grenache doesn't end up smelling like a burnt cup of coffee!

Marianne and her husband moved from Switzerland 25 years ago and aren't turning back. Cuvée Florilege is a nice 80/20 blend of Grenache and Syrah that manages to protect freshness (remember: high elevation, cool wind) while still coming across as a concentrated wine.

Let's chalk this one up to Swiss precision. Coste Chaude might be one of the cleanest and supremely organized wineries I've ever visited.